9 Of The Best Things To Do In Costa Rica With Kids

Planning a family getaway to Costa Rica? One of the best things about a vacation here is that there are so many things to do in Costa Rica with kids. From visiting a wildlife rescue sanctuary, milking cows on a dairy farm and ziplining through the rainforest, kids will love it as much, if not more, than the adults.

Walking over the Mistico Hanging Bridges in Arenal, Costa Rica Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

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Thanks to the Costa Rica Institute Of Tourism and Costa Rica Family Holidays for hosting this trip. All opinions are 100% my own.

There are a lot of things to think about when planning a family vacation. One of the most important is that the destination is family friendly and appeals to everyone. Because there are so many things to do in Costa Rica with kids, it makes an excellent choice.

Adventurous families will love ziplining through the rainforest while those looking for a more low key vacation will enjoy watching artisans at work in Sarchi or relaxing at one of the many hot springs in Arenal.

No matter what kind of vacation your family prefers, Costa Rica has something for everyone!

1. Rescate Animal ZooAve

While the name makes this place sound more like a zoo, it’s actually not a zoo at all. Located 40 miles from San José, Rescate Animal ZooAve is an animal wildlife rescue center that’s been in operation for over 30 years. This non-profit sanctuary practices both rescue rehabilitation and conservation breeding. Animals that can’t be rehabilitated for reintroduction into their natural environment remain here. This sloth seemed pretty happy about it!

A sloth munches on leaves at the Rescate Animal ZooAve in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

In addition to focusing on sick and injured animals, Rescate Animal ZooAve plays a big role in environmental education. Visitors see wildlife native to Costa Rica and learn how each one fits into its own special place in the ecosystem. The hope is that it inspires those who visit to help do their part to protect wildlife and discourage people from keeping these animals as pets (which is now against the law).

You’ll find over 125 types of birds, mammals, reptiles and other species here. Some of my favorites were the monkeys, sloths, parrots, and monkeys.

Getting the staredown from a monkey at the Rescate Animal ZooAve in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

I’d also never seen so many iguanas in one place, especially ones that were this gigantic!

Iguanas are everywhere at Rescate Animal ZooAve. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

Walking trails are fully accessible and complimentary wheelchairs are available. There are also rental wagons for children if you need one. This park covers a lot of ground so it may be hard for little ones to do the entire thing on foot.

2. Espiritu Santo Coffee Tour

Since Costa Rica is so well known for their coffee, why not take a tour of a coffee plantation? Espiritu Santo, a Naranjo cooperative established more than 40 years ago, is made up of over 2,500 farmers from around the region. This tour takes you through the process of how Costa Rica’s world-renowned coffee is grown and harvested.

Watch coffee being made the old fashioned way at a coffee plantation in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

The kids may not drink coffee, but there’s a lot for them to enjoy. Visitors can check out an old coffee house to learn how coffee was traditionally brewed, plant a coffee bush and race against each other to see who can pick the most coffee beans in the shortest amount of time.

The tour ends in the coffee shop with delicious samples of chocolate covered coffee beans. There’s also plenty of coffee in the gift shop for those who want to take some home as a souvenir or gift.

3. Sarchi

You shouldn’t take a Costa Rican vacation without visiting the village of Sarchi in the Central Valley.

Sarchi is a popular destination in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

Here you’ll learn more about the colorful oxcarts that they are known for. Originally used to transport coffee beans, you’re more likely to see them in parades and religious celebrations these days.

Sarchi is known for its brightly colored oxcarts. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

You can also watch the artisans as they create their next intricately designed masterpiece.

Watching an artisan at work in the Sarchi village. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

There are gift shops where you can find everything from oxcart Christmas ornaments to full sized carts. If you’re not in the mood to bring home your own cart, there are hundreds of other fun souvenirs to choose from too.

We had a blast painting our own colorful wagon wheels and I’m not sure who enjoyed it more, the kids or the adults. While it’s fun to take home something from the souvenir shop, it’s even better when you can make your own.

4. Baldi Hot Springs

Travelers come from all over to experience the hot springs in Arenal and there are plenty of places to find them. We spent a few hours at the Baldi hot springs, part of the Baldi Hot Springs Resort And Spa. With 25 thermal water pools, this is said to be one of the largest hot springs in the world.

Kids and adults will enjoy the Baldi Hot Springs in Arenal Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

There’s something here for everyone. Adults can relax in the sauna (just a warning, they’re HOT) or enjoy a cocktail at one of the swim-up bars. The kids have their own mini water park to splash around in, though I’ve heard that you might want to think twice about going down the larger water slides.

The springs get progressively hotter as you head up the path. The ones at the bottom are more lukewarm and by the time you get to the top, they’re steaming hot. You can dip your toe into each one until you find the one that’s just the right temperature for you. You also don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy the springs since they offer day passes as well.

5. La Selva Biological Station And Research Center

La Selva Biological Station located about 1.5 hours from San Jose, where the Sarapiquí and Puerto Viejo rivers meet. Scientists come here from around the world to study tropical ecology but you don’t have to be a scientist to visit and learn.

We experienced the beauty of the Costa Rican rainforest first hand as our guide took us along the path. It was so picture perfect that I almost felt like we were on a fictional movie set!

The rainforest is so beautiful that you may feel like you’re on a movie set. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

La Selva boasts an amazing array of animals and I finally saw the monkeys that I’d been looking for.

Watching the monkeys play at La Selva. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

We also saw bats, monkeys, a boar and even a tiny, exotic looking frog on our guided tour.

Look carefully and you may just see a Poison Back Dart Frog as you walk the trails at La Selva. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

As if the walk through the rainforest weren’t enough, the trail takes you to a scenic location overlooking a lake. Be sure to have your camera ready because you’ll get beautiful views from here as well.

Looking out over the lake in Costa Rica Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

If you really want to be fully immersed, you can book your family into one of the cabins on the property.

6. Corso Lecharia

Kids will love Corso Lecharia in Alajuela. From the minute you pull in, there are cows, cows, and more cows. Kids can even play on a playground surrounded by cows.

Cows surround a playground at Corso Lecheria Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

You may even get one of the cows to pose for you!

The tour takes you on a tractor ride around the farm, where you’ll get the chance to milk one of the cows. It was a pretty crazy experience for a city girl like me!

Both kids and adults will love milking cows at Corso Lecheria. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

Next, the tractor takes you to the greenhouse where you’ll learn how their strawberries are grown.

Learn how to grow strawberries in the greenhouse at Corso Lecheria Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

At the end of the tour, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a delicious tasting of strawberries and cheese.

Nibble on strawberries and cheese straight from the Corso Lecheria farm Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

There’s also a shop where you can buy milk, cheese and more. Don’t forget to order a giant scoop of ice cream while you’re there!

7. Mistico Hanging Bridges

The Mistico Hanging Bridges are one of the best places to experience the beauty of the Costa Rican rainforest. The Castillo Rodriguez family had these bridges developed at the beginning of the 21st century. They wanted to develop their land as an ecotourism project so that visitors from all over could enjoy the rainforest.

The Mistico Hanging Bridges in Arenal are well worth the trip. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

The main trail is two miles long and features 16 bridges, a tunnel, and a waterfall. However, there are lots of other adventures to choose from too. You can walk the bird observation trail, take a night walk, go horseback riding and more. When you’re ready to take a break, you can relax in the colorful gardens or enjoy a snack overlooking the Arenal volcano.

View of the Arenal Volcano from the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

There’s also a fully accessible trail for those with disabilities (Costa Rica is one of the most accessible friendly countries I’ve ever visited). The one-mile trail has six fixed bridges and visitors can opt to go over two additional hanging bridges. These trails have no stairs, protective railing, and anti-slip concrete.

8. Cooking Classes

What better way to learn about the local cuisine than cooking classes. At Arenal Vida Campesina in Arenal, you can tour their organic gardens to learn about the fruits and vegetables that thrive in Costa Rica, then cook them up for dinner.

Before the actual cooking began, we learned some Costa Rican slang and got a demonstration on how the juice is squeezed from sugar cane. There were samples of sugar cane juice for all, as well as stronger concoctions for the adults.

There are drinks for both kids and adults when you take a cooking class in Costa Rica Photo Credit: Do It All TravelingMom

Finally, we made our way to the kitchen where we each had a hand in preparing our meal.

Prepare a traditional Costa Rican dinner when you take cooking classes in Arenal Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

This would be a lot of fun to do as a family, and it’s also a great way to teach the kids about Costa Rican culture in a fun, casual atmosphere.

9. Ziplining

I saved the best for last! If you like adventure, there’s no way you can visit Costa Rica without ziplining. This was one of the things I was most excited to try and Ecoglide Arenal Park did not disappoint.

After the guides give you a brief training session, you’re ready to zip away. You’ll step off the platform and glide through this beautiful national park with an amazing view of the rainforest all around you. There’s nothing quite like it!

Ziplining through the rainforest of Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

If you’re really feeling brave, pay a little extra for the Tarzan swing! It’s not for the faint of heart and I won’t lie, I was a little nervous (okay, terrified) at first. It was totally worth it though and I’d do it all over again! I’ve never felt adrenaline like I did as I stepped off the platform and swung through the trees like, you guessed it, Tarzan. It costs a little extra but it’s definitely not something most people get the chance to do very often.

Swinging like Tarzan at Ecoglide Arenal Park. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

Like so many other activities in Costa Rica, this one is accessible as well, and the folks at Ecoglide have gone above and beyond to make sure that everybody is able to enjoy this awesome experience.

Kids as Young as 2 May Zipline!

I was a little surprised to learn that kids as young as two years old can zipline here. Children between two and five are accompanied by a guide while six and up can fly solo. While ziplining doesn’t scare me at all, I’d never have been brave enough to let my girls do it at two years old. However, now that my youngest is almost seven, I’d have no problems with it.

I actually felt even safer here than on the zipline adventure courses that I’ve done in the states. You are attached to the main cable with a separate second safety cable above it. The guides are there every step of the way to clip and unclip you safely to each cable.

TravelingMom Tip:Nobody knows your child as well as you and some may be too anxious for ziplining from these heights. If your child is frightened of roller coasters and other thrill rides, they may not be ready for this type of adventure.

Where To Stay In Costa Rica

Villas Del Rio near San Jose

Families will love Villas Del Rio, near San Jose, for space alone. Instead of a typical hotel room, you’ll get a full apartment with separate bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen so you can save on eating out. Located near San Jose, it makes a good jumping off point for adventures in and around the city.

Arenal Paraiso In Arenal

These cute cabins at Arenal Pariaso with views overlooking the Arenal Volcano. The one-room cabins feel more spacious than a typical hotel room and would fit a family of four comfortably.

A cabin at Arenal Paraiso in Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

This hotel also features 13 hot springs, a restaurant and a spa and is in a great location for taking in the sights of Arenal. You’ll also feel good about staying here because each guest plants a tree during their stay to help erase their carbon footprint.

Those who stay at Arenal Paraiso can plant a tree to give back to the Costa Rican ecosystem Photo Credit: Lisa O’Driscoll | Do It All TravelingMom

Ready to plan a trip to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica Family Holidays is a family run business with years of experience. They can help you put together an amazing vacation, whether you’re traveling with babies, teenagers or planning a multi-generational trip. They also specialize in accessible travel and have launched several initiatives to help make Costa Rica one of the leading countries in accessible travel.